Does anyone know if where to find pine bark to make the mix in central indiana?? I have tried many places over the past week, and have not found anything that is close to being a small size to make this. I believe i have read in a pinch you can use reptile pine?? I would rather find the stuff you are supposed to use. I have a couple devils ivy that is dieing. The soil i used seems to be keeping it to wet and mushy, and i have a croton that needs replanted along with a bonazi, so i am hoping to find the right materials to make this mix in the next couple of weeks. Thanks

I personally think the Atrium and Butter Pecan look good together because they share the red undertones, peach and pink. Theoretically they work and I would just go ahead with the plan. On a practical level, whatever is on your floors may reflect up and play nasty tricks on you. That is hard to predict sometimes. As for alternatives, when I look at cleaner yellows for the ceiling, it makes the AW look really pink in comparison. Going with a whiter white really throws the BP over to peach. I don't think you can change one without changing the other. You made good choices, so just get on with it. Most likely you'll have success. If not, remember what they say...it's only paint. (Yeah, right....and hundreds, if not thousands, in labor. I know.) But, I think you are probably going to be fine. Love that blue, btw.

Hi Terri - can I ask you where you got your tree from? I've been looking at 4 different nurseries and not sure which ones to trust. I like Four Winds but their shipping fees cost more than the tree. Thanks.

Where do you live? France is a big place. And does it snow in your area? Here is some general info on lawns. Ignore your neighbor. He's trying to intimidate you and set you up to fail. Plant new seed only in the fall. Start in the early fall. That might be August or it might be September depending on where you live. You seem to have done it pretty well - perhaps by accident. Not rototilling was excellent. Rototilling is a big mistake that a lot of new gardeners make. See if you can rent a roller. You only need it once the first time you seed a big yard. After that, for annual overseeding, you can simply walk on the new seed to press it down onto the soil. Water new very lightly 3x per day, every day, until you get 80% germination. For the shade grass you planted that would be 3 weeks. If you have shade type grass, I'm assuming it's a fescue. Fescue should be mulch mowed at the mower's highest setting most of the time. If it gets hot in the summer, then mow every other week. The idea is to develop deeper roots to get water from deeper places in the soil. Fertilize for the first time on Fête du huitième mai or Jour de la Victoire 45 (same date different name). Fertilize again on Assomption and for the last time on or about Jour d'armistice. With the new lawn skip Jour d'armistice for this year. National holidays are easier to remember than specific dates. If you want to use organic fertilizer, you can do that any time including now. The application rate for organics is almost always 7 kg per 100 square meters. I like to use alfalfa pellets (lapin chow) as a fertilizer. Get them from a local feed store in 20-kilo bags. They really work. Watering: Deep and infrequent is the mantra for watering. This is for all turf grass all over the place. Deep means 3 cm all at one time. Put some cat food or tuna cans around the yard, and time how long it takes your sprinkler(s) to fill all the cans. Memorize that time. That will be the time you water from now on. My hose, sprinkler and water pressure takes 8 full hours to fill the cans. Your time will likely be less. I like gentle watering. As for watering frequency, that depends on the daytime air temperature. With temps from 33-38 deep water once per week. With temps from 25-32 deep water once every 2 weeks. With temps from 21-24 deep water once every 3 weeks. With temps below 21, deep water once a month. Note that you have to keep up with quickly changing temps in the spring and fall. In the USA this deep and infrequent schedule works in Phoenix and in Vermont (for Oz think Hobart to Darwin including Alice Springs), so it should work for you. The reason for deep and infrequent is to grow deeper, more drought resistant roots and to allow the soil to dry completely at the surface for several days before watering again. If it rains, reset your calendar to account for the rainfall. These are in reverse order of importance. Watering is key to getting a good lawn with the fewest problems. Weeds: Spot spray a liquid herbicide in mid April and again in mid September.